Doctors Warn Over High Rate Of Burns Caused By Scalding Hot Tea

A “cup of scald” is an Irish slang term often used affectionately when referring to the beloved cup of tea, and indeed the humble cup of tea is an extremely popular drink in Ireland.

The only problem however, is that "scald" is exactly what it can do.

Irish doctors have issued a warning report on the high rates of burns caused by hot beverages in Ireland, particularly in children, with figures showing that hot beverages accounted for 65% of scald presentations to an urban Irish Emergency Department with tea alone accounting for 28% of the burns.

Children exposed to water at 60 degrees Celsius for 5 seconds will sustain a full thickness burn, and a UK investigation of the temperatures of common beverages made in the home found that milky beverages had the lowest starting temperatures but these were still high, 75-77oC.

Equally alarming is the fact that black tea and coffee remained at temperatures greater than 65oC degrees even after 10 minutes of cooling.

This means that even after you've added in your splash of cold milk, the drink is still boiling enough to do serious burn damage.

Parents are advised to be aware of the dangers of hot beverages and to implement safe kitchen practices.